


Sunny Side Up

by valiant_muffin



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor Can't Cook for Shit, Domestic Fluff, Gen, Hank is worried about his android son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-24 19:33:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14960799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valiant_muffin/pseuds/valiant_muffin
Summary: Connor owed a lot to Lieutenant Hank Anderson. The Lieutenant might put up a bad-tempered front, but it was an undeniable fact that he had always given Connor a chance.And that’s why the Lieutenant’s kitchen was currently on fire.





	1. Scrambled

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to @KnitAstrology for beta-ing this mess! Thank you ;_;
> 
> Also, this particular fic is mainly platonic, but if you ship 'em I don't judge. I really love the dynamic of these two a lot in general! (Will also adjust tags as new chapters are added)

Connor owed a lot to Lieutenant Hank Anderson.

The Lieutenant might put up a bad-tempered front, but it was an undeniable fact that he had always given Connor a chance. Even at the beginning when they first became partners and it was clear that Anderson had strong prejudices against androids. Despite that, he had still heard out Connor’s reconstruction of Carl Ortiz’ murder, and later, went as far as to allow him to interview the suspect alone. Then at The Eden Club, Anderson trusted the RK800 model to track down the deviants through the rather unorthodox method of hiring sex android witnesses.

The Lieutenant would, of course, defend himself explaining that it was always for the sake of the case, but Connor knew that the older man could have simply ignored him. Detective Gavin would have shot him for even attempting to speak.

But the Lieutenant didn’t. He had listened to Connor, even showed concern whenever the android was about to throw himself into danger (like jumping into speeding traffic to chase down a pair of deviants). He took the time to talk to Connor and the android felt that those conversations, while statistically filled with more swearing than the average conversation, helped him break free from his protocols and turn deviant. They helped him feel _alive_.

So in short, yes, Connor owed a great deal to Lieutenant Anderson.

And that’s why the Lieutenant’s kitchen was currently on fire.

* * *

 

After assisting Markus with his revolution by liberating thousands of Cyberlife androids into the streets and effectively intimidating the United States into starting dialogue, Connor separated himself almost completely from the revolution. While he did recognize himself as one of them, there was still a feeling of being out of place. Some of them still did not trust him due to his original purpose being to capture deviants and he did not blame them.

He was then content in staying on the streets until his life settled back into place (perhaps the police force would officially hire him?) when Hank forced him to get into his car and drove the android to his home to stay. Now given a roof over his head, it was yet another thing that Connor owed the Lieutenant.

It was the week after Connor had started living with Hank and Sumo that the mess happened.

The police force had agreed to hire him, but the paperwork still needed to be settled. After several days of idling around in Lieutenant Anderson’s home, Connor wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He hadn’t been allowed to follow the Lieutenant to crime scenes while his paperwork was being filed, and the Lieutenant forbade him from cleaning or touching his stuff under the reasoning that he knew where everything was already. That week he had passed most of the time sitting on the couch and petting Sumo who would plant himself at the android’s feet as soon as he sat down.

He hadn’t been allowed to just stand in the corner anymore after that night Hank came home, turned on the lights, and screamed at the sight of Connor just standing there, staring. Looking back, Connor thought the reaction quite amusing. Not that he would tell the Lieutenant.

But now that Hank was actually at home since he stumbled into bed at dawn, Connor decided that he would do something nice for him. The first thing on a long list to pay back the Lieutenant.

It had started off straightforward enough, “ _Make Lieutenant Anderson Breakfast._ ”

The start of Connor’s problems though, was that he wasn’t a domestic model. The finer points of cooking and cleaning wasn’t in his base programming. If he wanted to do something skillfully outside of the knowledge of a detective and negotiator, he’d have to download additional software.

Connor  _could_ have done that, but he wanted this to be special. Wasn’t a deviant an android that felt alive like a human? And a human wouldn’t download the skills of a master chef, a human would learn how to cook step-by-step. He felt that Hank would appreciate the effort.

Well, it was more of a hopeful feeling if anything.

First he placed some bread in the toaster. That was simple enough. It was probably the first time it was being used in long while too. Then he turned on the stove to the highest heat so the cooking would be done more efficiently. He held a bottle of oil over the pan he set out. How much would be a suitable amount? Going by how the full carton of eggs Connor found in the fridge was nearing expiration, the Lieutenant wasn’t the type to eat breakfast at all. Therefore, he was going to treat the man. For four eggs, that would be… a lot of oil? He poured.

Just as Connor was about to crack the eggs into the not yet hot oil, Sumo huffed sadly from the corner over his empty bowl. If the android was going to make breakfast for Hank, he might as well feed the dog too.

The oil started to pop and sizzle angrily while he did so. He rushed over and began cracking the eggs into the small pan, one right after the other. It'll be faster to cook them all at once, right?

Gingerly, he took a spatula to poke at the eggs that were whitening too fast. All the hot oil splashing everywhere would have surely hurt if he had been human.

This might not be turning out as well as he hoped.

It was then that Hank had shuffled out of the hallway, attracted by the smell of something cooking. He paused at the sight of the detective android with his jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up in a precise manner and holding an oily spatula. “You better not be trying to burn down my house on my goddamn day off, kid,” The Lieutenant gruffed to hide his surprise.

Connor peered over his shoulder, smiling lopsidedly, “Good morning, Lieutenant! Please take a seat. Your breakfast should be done momentarily.”

“Breakfast? You’re shitting me, you can do that?” Hank ignored the suggestion and shuffled over to the android by the stove.

“Well, it’s not exactly in my programming, but…”

As Hank peered over Connor’s shoulder at the pan, the man’s eyes grew huge, “Jesus Christ, turn down the heat, the oil’s getting everywhere! And what the fuck _is_ that? How many eggs did you put in the damn pan?” Hank reached over to turn down the fire.

A sudden defensive feeling welled up in Connor. Turning around, he stopped the Lieutenant’s hand and pushed the older man back into the living room, “You shouldn’t stress out on your day off, Lieutenant. Your blood pressure is already too high. Just go sit--” He huffed as Hank shoved back, trying to get back into the kitchen.

“Blood pressure, my ass! You’re going to start a fucking--”

He felt a bit guilty, but Connor used more of his inhuman strength to manhandle Hank onto the couch, “-- _down_ and enjoy some nice relaxing TV!” Deciding that fighting was only making things worse, the Lieutenant finally let himself be pushed onto the cushions.

“Fuck, fine! Just get back into the kitchen! Don’t leave the stove unattended, you idiot!” He smacked away the android’s hands.

Connor’s small victory brought a smug smile to his face, “Thank you, Lieutenant. Now just relax, I’ve got everything under control.”

And that was when the toaster exploded.

It was an old model and given how disused it was, there were a number of things that could have caused it, but that wasn’t Connor’s priority at the moment. The sparks from the toaster was getting dangerously close to the hot oil in the pan.

While Connor dove to unplug the toaster from the wall, Hank jumped up and rushed for where he kept the fire extinguisher.

Too late though as a spark hit the oil just as Connor reached the plug. It flared up in open flame and it was that moment that Connor realized he made a mistake. Several of them. Maybe he should have just made Hank a card.

Hank ran in to spray the fire with the extinguisher. “Shut the damn stove off!” He bellowed, snapping Connor out of his self-pity and scrambling to comply.

Once the fire was out, the two men stood before the mess of the stove. The eggs, including the toast and the pan, were an unidentifiable black crisp. Connor felt a strange sadness looking at them as the LED on his temple shuffled from red, to yellow, and finally back to blue. Sheepishly, he turned to Hank.

“Hank, I’m--” His apology was cut off when the Lieutenant abruptly leaned onto his shoulder, an arm over his eyes.

Hank let out one long shaky breath. He was too tired to be angry. Yesterday had been a long night and then this? “Jesus fucking Christ, Connor. You’re going to be the goddamn death of me, I swear to fucking God. What if I hadn’t been here? You can’t just be replaced if you died now, kid,” He shook his head when Connor tried to speak again, “Don’t. Just fucking don’t. It’s too damn early for this.”

Connor almost expected the Lieutenant to reach for the bottle of whiskey the android knew he hid in the back of the cabinet, but instead Hank disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared with some towels to clean up the mess. Distantly, Connor noted that Hank had started drinking less since their partnership. A small part of him wondered if his deviancy would drive Hank to drinking again. The thought made him gloomier. Why did he think trying to be human would make Hank happy?

When Connor reached for a towel, Hank pulled away and pointed to the living room, “Just stay out of the way, kid. I don’t want you to—“ he hesitated at the way the android’s face fell, “Shit, look, it’s fine, Connor. I’ll handle this.”

Whatever protest Connor had was interrupted by the sound of the front door buzzer. Frowning, he went to go answer it as it seemed he no longer had anything else to do.

He… failed, and it weighed down on him with each step. He hadn’t felt this way since the time he had been taken off the deviant case and almost sent back to Cyberlife. The one person he had left, Connor had failed him.

The Lieutenant hadn’t yelled at him like usual either, he just looked disappointed. Somehow that hurt more.

Can he make this up to him? Does he get another chance before Hank decides to throw him out?

Lost in the mess of his thoughts, Connor opened the door.

He stopped short when he recognized the visitor. The LED on his temple swirled yellow as a grin spread across his face. Was it human to think some other worldly force was watching over him and had taken pity? He certainly felt something akin to that at that very moment.

His next chance had just showed up at Hank’s doorstep.


	2. Poached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! The rest of the story isn't beta'd right now so the mistakes are all on me lolol

Markus just needed to take a small breather. He needed to be away from the androids that reached out to him as if he could solve all their problems, away from North and Josh arguing on how exactly they could solve said problems, away from the humans who demanded oversight and regulations for their solutions, just… away.

He would be back, of course he would. His people needed him and he wanted his people to thrive in this new future that they had fought for. Just for a day though, Markus needed to be somewhere where he wasn’t the leader of the newly free androids.

That’s how he ended up on Hank Anderson’s doorstep.

After telling Simon that he would be taking care of some business somewhere in the city (the PL600 model clearly hadn’t believe him, but Simon wasn’t the type to call him out on it which is exactly why Markus told _him_ ), Markus made his way to the one android in Detroit that he was acquainted with that wasn’t a part of the revolution.

Well, not anymore in any case.

When Connor had decided to separate himself from them, Markus found himself unable to hold it against the detective android. In fact, perhaps he was a little bit jealous. Not that Markus didn’t love his friends dearly and the people they worked so hard to help, but having that option to simply walk away… Ah, feelings were so complicated. Carl would have laughed.

Regardless, he was looking forward to seeing Connor again. What had the RK800 model been up to? Had he been to a crime scene of a grisly murder lately? Actually, would Markus really want to know the details to that? Hopefully they could talk about local artists instead.

Ringing the buzzer to Lieutenant Anderson’s home, that’s when he remembered something important. Weren’t you supposed to bring something when visiting someone’s home? Markus could vaguely recall some of Carl’s friends coming over with bottles of wine and the like. He swore under his breath. Maybe Connor wouldn’t be familiar enough with human social customs to be offended? In his defense though, when the roles had been reversed, the detective android had brought the FBI with him to Markus’ doorstep so maybe he was worrying too much.

Still, this was the first time he was visiting a friend to just… is ‘hanging out’ the correct term? Yeah, let’s go with that. _Hey Connor, I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. How has it been going—_

The door opened to reveal the detective android in such an unusual state, it stopped Markus’ thoughts in their tracks. Connor’s jacket was missing and the collared shirt usually hidden beneath it was wrinkled and dirtied. His hair, normally pushed back, now fell messily over his crestfallen expression. Markus could hear the swearing of Lieutenant Anderson in the kitchen beyond the doorway where the older man was furiously scrubbing at something. There was also the distinct smell of something burnt coming from inside. Had there been fire?

While Connor’s face brightened at the sight of the android leader, Markus’ fell in confusion.

“Is everything oka—” Markus immediately stepped in to help, but the RK800 model forced the both of them outside and closed the door discreetly behind him.

His brown eyes lit up in excitement, “Markus! What perfect timing! I have a favor to ask of you,” The grin on his face only made Markus even more confused. The fire was out, wasn’t it? What could he do now? Unless…

He threw up his hands in front of him, “We don’t have any more bombs, Connor.”

“I’m sorry?” It was Connor’s turn to be confused. “I mean, I certainly hope you don’t. The police will be hiring me again soon and I don’t want to arrest you for illegal possession of explosives.”

Markus paused at that. At least it meant Connor didn’t have any murder stories to share at the moment. “That’s— that’s good. I’m glad they’re welcoming you back, and uh, also glad you don’t want to arrest me.” He cleared his throat, “But just to be clear, you’re not trying to burn down Lieutenant Anderson’s house, right?”

“No! No—” Connor dragged a hand through his hair, “I’m trying to do the exact opposite actually.”

After Connor explained his failed cooking attempt that led to the sudden fire, Markus crossed his arms with an indecipherable look on his face. “Huh,” was all he said.

“Yes, so you see my dilemma now.”

“...No,” Markus lifted a hand to stop Connor from launching into a long winded explanation, “Is Lieutenant Anderson forcing you to do this? You don’t have to serve him, Connor.”

The detective android shook his head, “I’m not doing this because of some directive. That’s precisely why it ended so disastrously, it’s something outside of my original programming. It’s something that I want to do for Hank because…” His gaze fell to the ground, brows knitted as he considered his next words. The LED at his temple cycled yellow. “Because I— I _feel_ gratitude for this man that has given me so much. Have you ever experienced something like this, Markus?”

When Connor’s eyes met Markus’ again, the android leader immediately recognized the emotion within them.

If that fateful night had played out differently and Carl was still alive, this might have been him. Not the setting-the-kitchen-on-fire part since Markus actually had culinary skills in his programming, but the want to care for someone simply because they meant so much to him. Markus briefly shut his eyes at the sudden tightness in his throat. God, he probably would be at Carl’s side right this moment if he could have.

Markus swallowed. “Why didn’t you just download a cooking software?” He asked instead of answering the question. He could tell that Connor knew the answer from the look on Markus’ face anyway.

Connor frowned and shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I don’t know exactly why I didn’t. I probably should have, but I… thought it would be more meaningful if I didn’t. That maybe it would make me more human.” Placing a hand on Markus’ shoulder, Connor looked at the android leader rather pitifully, “Do you think you can help me, Markus? Can you teach me how to cook?”

This was not what Markus expected when he walked here this morning. It wasn’t the usual request he’d receive from newly turned deviants, but at least he had more confidence in his cooking ability than his leadership. The problem was that he didn’t know if he would even be a good teacher. After all, he had always been the student to Carl’s lessons. Even then, that was Carl teaching him through a process that the old man himself had gone through. Explaining something that Markus already knew when he was activated felt like an entirely different matter.

If he considered it, wouldn’t it be the same as a human teaching another how to breathe? This could potentially be just as bad as Connor attempting it alone again, and Markus imagined that if he set fire to Lieutenant Anderson’s kitchen, the Lieutenant would be less forgiving than he had been with Connor.

When Markus hesitated, Connor stepped back, “I mean, if you have the time. I know you’re very busy. Actually, why did you stop by?” He tilted his head inquisitively.

“Connor! Where the hell are you? Are you still outside?” Before Markus could answer, the Lieutenant’s voice called out from behind the door. A moment later, it swung open to reveal a rather haggard looking Hank. He stared at Connor who shifted guiltily under the scrutiny until he noticed the other android. Bewilderment showed clearly on Hank’s face. “Markus? What are you doing here? Wait, are you two planning something I shouldn’t know about?” The older man’s eyes narrowed as they shifted between the two androids.

Connor turned to Markus, still unsure as to what the other’s plans were. Markus guessed it was time to come clean.

With a grin, the android leader innocently held out his hands, “There’s no need to worry, Lieutenant Anderson. I’m just here on a social call. Actually,” He slapped a friendly hand against Connor’s back, “I think I’m going to help teach Connor here how to cook some breakfast.”

“You’re what,” The Lieutenant gave them both a flat look.

Smiling sheepishly, Connor implored Hank, “Markus is actually a caretaker model, he’s better equipped at handling culinary problems than I am. I assure you the earlier incident will not be repeated.” Markus pointedly ignored the caretaker model comment. It was true, but he didn’t want it to be what defined him. He knew Connor didn’t mean it like that though, and the look Lieutenant Anderson gave him made it obvious that the older man knew Markus was more than that.

Hank opened his mouth to protest then shut it. Instead, he sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “Connor, look, I don’t know why you think you have to do this, but you don’t. I don’t need you to be my servant or whatever. I just need you to be, shit, I don’t know, Connor. Just be Connor.”

Knowing this wasn’t a conversation he was meant to be a part of, Markus stayed silent. He glanced over his shoulder across the street where the fall of a curtain caught his eye. Hank’s neighbors seemed to be the attentive type.

“I’m not doing this to be your servant, Hank,” Connor’s hands balled into fists, “I’m doing it because you— you’re my _friend!_ ” He stumbled over the last words, but once he said ‘friend’ he knew that was exactly what had been missing in his conviction until then. Hank was his friend and he wanted to do something nice for him and not burn down his kitchen doing it, damn it!

Shocked at the declaration, Hank just stood there. _Fuck._ He was touched, but damn if he was going to let his cocky android partner know that.

He turned on his heel and stormed back inside. “Fine! Have your fucking playdate! But you better not burn down my goddamn house, Connor!” Despite his harsh words, he had left the door open for the two androids to follow him. That’s how Connor knew Hank was doing that thing again where he refused to express what he was really feeling.

As Hank disappeared into the bathroom, Connor and Markus walked into the living room. Grinning over his shoulder at the android behind him, Connor thanked him, “I appreciate your assistance, Markus, I really do.”

“Don’t mention it, let’s just say I can relate with what you’re feeling,” he replied with a faint smile, and then in a more confident tone, “And you’ll owe me one, like you forgetting about the bomb thing.”

Connor stopped mid-step. “What bomb thing?”

“Exactly,” Markus patted the RK800 model on the shoulder to reassure him it was a joke as Markus passed him into the kitchen. It took Connor another moment to start walking again.

Sumo sleepily looked up at them from where he napped by his spot in front of the house. With a soft huff, he laid his head back down as they passed. Hopefully this time will not end in the human yelling and everything on fire again.


	3. Sunny Side Up

As Connor entered the kitchen after Markus, the detective android braced himself for the harsh reminder of his earlier failure. However, Hank had made quick work of the mess. The toaster had been unceremoniously thrown into the trash can with the charred pan on top of it. Most of the stove had been scrubbed clean as well.

Without a word, Connor looked down to fix one of his sleeves when Markus glanced at the remains of the eggs.

It was better not to bring up past mistakes. The android leader approached one of the many cabinets instead, “Do you have another pan?”

“The one on the right,” Hank interjected before Connor could open his mouth, walking into the kitchen and then planting himself in one of the dining chairs.

Connor frowned at the Lieutenant, “You don’t have to supervise me.”

“You don’t have to cook either, but I guess it’s a free country, huh?” Hank shot back, picking up a news tablet. He swiped to the next headline. _CYBERLIFE STOCK CONTINUES TO FALL AFTER ANDROID REVOLUTION IN DETROIT_. He swiped again.

“You’re damn right it is, Lieutenant,” Markus added which made Hank snort. Straightening after retrieving a medium sized pan from the cabinet Hank specified, he went to the sink to rinse it.

As he dried it, he jerked his head at the fridge, “Can you grab me two eggs, Connor?”

“Only two?” Connor asked, but he was already pulling out the carton.

Markus gave him a pointed look. The detective android obediently placed only two eggs onto the counter. “Good, now first we set the stove to medium-high. You want the pan to be at least a little warm before we add the oil,” Markus instructed as his cooking interface popped up. Maybe if he explained what he was seeing that would suffice?

“Ask him how much oil you should add, Connor,” Hank said without looking up from the sports article he was reading.

When Connor’s only response was pressing his lips together into a thin line, Markus found he couldn’t help his curiosity. “How much oil did you put in the first time?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Looking away, Connor fixed his other sleeve. The answer was muttered under his breath, “Enough.”

“A shitton,” Hank corrected.

“ _Thank you_ , Lieutenant.”

Ignoring his partner’s sharp tone, Hank shrugged and swiped to the next page of the news tablet.

Markus couldn’t hide his smile at their banter. An argument without any real bite and no dire consequences except a couple of wasted eggs and some kitchen appliances. It was refreshing. When was the last time he had this kind of lighthearted conversation with Josh, North, or Simon? They really needed to talk about something other than the revolution every once in awhile now that they’ve gained some ground with the United States government. Did Simon like music? He seemed like the jazz type.

The rest of the lesson continued on in a similar fashion. After letting Connor take hold of the pan, Markus remained at his side carefully guiding the other android through the steps on how to successfully fry eggs with Hank throwing in the occasional sly comment.

Medium heat, enough oil to coat the pan (“That’s right, Connor”), a pinch of salt, and a watchful eye…

In short time, Connor presented Hank a plate of two sunny side up eggs that were only slightly burnt around the edges. As Hank picked up his fork, the android beamed brightly, practically adding an extra dose of sunny to the dish. Hank huffed and pointedly ignored Connor’s puppy eyes while Markus watched the two of them in amusement.

This was a side of Connor that Markus had never seen before. Trying to hide his apprehension (and failing) as the Lieutenant put a forkful of egg into his mouth, Connor unconsciously twisted the spatula in his grip. Who knew that the serious detective android that had pointed a gun at him would get nervous over a plate of eggs?

Hank chewed slowly, savoring it. He could have already told Connor it was good, but hey, he never said he wasn’t an asshole.

When he finally swallowed, Connor had somehow ended up leaning into the older man’s personal space. There was a very determined look on his face that unnerved Hank.

“Jesus, Connor, back up!” He said as soon as his mouth was free, using one arm to push the detective android back.

Connor didn’t budge. “Was it good, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know, I forgot with you sticking your dumb face into mine,” Hank tried to level with Connor’s stare, but that damn android had the advantage, looming over him like that.

It didn’t help when Connor leaned in even closer. “Is that so, Hank? Maybe you should take another bite then.” Those big brown eyes of his bored into the Lieutenant.

“Fucking hell! Jeez—” Unable to take it anymore, Hank turned away and cleared his throat, “It didn’t kill me so I guess it wasn’t bad.” For another long moment, Connor’s eyes searched his partner’s face for something until seeming satisfied with what he found, he pulled back.

Having brought Hank to optimal stress levels, Connor successfully extracted a confession, or at least, something akin to one. It wouldn’t stand up in court, but it was good enough for Connor.

“You’re lying,” he said with a smug look on his face, “But it’s okay, I understand, Lieutenant. You thought it was good.”

Hank decided not to even grace that with an answer. He rolled his eyes and continued eating. Connor left him alone after that though, deciding to put the other dishes into the sink.

Joining him there, Markus reached over to turn on the water to soak the pan. “So that’s how a first-class detective interrogates, huh?”

A faint blush colored Connor’s cheeks and his ears. If that wasn’t a tell-tale enough sign, the sheepish grin he couldn’t hide made his feelings obvious. Like a little kid getting caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. “I just wanted to know if he liked it,” he explained.

“And now what? What are you planning on doing next?” The android leader leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. He was actually looking forward to whatever it may be. In truth, it was amusing to watch Connor act so casually, so _human_. Although Markus might have to draw the line if the detective android asked for a lesson on how to dust shelves.

That’s when Hank cut in between them, placing his plate into the sink as well. “Now we’re going to the store.”

Connor’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Wait, you’re finished already, Lieutenant?”

“There were only two eggs, you know.”

“Oh— Right! I’m sorry, did you want me to make more? I think I can make them on my own well enough now.” He looked very proud about this fact. It almost made Hank want to just let him make them. Almost.

Instead, he playfully mussed up Connor’s hair. “No way kid, I’ve had my fill of eggs this morning,” The android deflated a bit at the rejection, but Hank only laughed, “What, don’t you want to learn how to cook other things? Markus will probably get sick of teaching you so c’mon, we’re going to find you a cookbook.”

Markus nodded in agreement, “A cookbook would probably be more convenient too. Now, I don’t mind teaching Connor, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to stop by as much as I’d like.”

“You’re… going to buy me something?” Despite the warm pleasant feeling Hank’s intentions gave him, Connor felt a weight in his core. How much will Hank keep giving him? He would never be able to catch up with his kindness at this point.

Hank paused to study Connor. After Connor’s earlier declaration, the Lieutenant could now at least guess at a little behind his partner’s thinking process. “Look, we’re… friends, right? Friends do things for each other without expecting something back. Just a little Human 101 for you.”

“But friends don’t take advantage of their friend’s generosity,” Connor shot back and Hank resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. Actually when had he ever held back when it came to Connor? He rolled his eyes.

Then he shrugged and walked out of the kitchen. “Fine, just pay me back in pancakes then.” Hank shouted over his shoulder as he headed for his bedroom to change, “If they’re the best damn pancakes I ever put into my mouth, we’ll call it even.”

Connor didn’t think that even the best pancakes would be enough to pay back the Lieutenant for everything he’s ever done for him, but he could tell that Hank was going to do whatever he wanted. _Fine_ , Connor decided, he was going to become the pancake master then.

“Just so you know, those come in boxes,” Markus helpfully supplied, seeing the look on Connor’s face.

The detective android brought a hand to his chin as he considered this. “Are they more difficult without the box than frying eggs?” He winced when Markus gestured vaguely. The fact that he had so much difficulty with just eggs made his chances with pancakes questionable, but he was not to be discouraged. “Right… Well, I’ll just have to practice more.”

“Alright, ready to hit the road, you guys?” Hank asked as he emerged from the hallway, car keys in hand.

The two androids followed the Lieutenant out of the house and approached the car as Hank locked up the house (“Be a good boy, Sumo. Watch the house.”) While Connor immediately climbed into the passenger side of Hank’s car, Markus awkwardly stood at the threshold. This definitely meant that he should leave now, right?

As if reading his thoughts, Hank patted the roof of his car and jerked his head to the side. “Well? You gonna come or not? If you ain’t got any pressing business to get to, I think I owe you one for helping Connor not burn down my house.”

The android leader didn’t have to be asked twice. Settling into the backseat of Hank’s car, Markus felt like he understood why Connor bonded so readily with the Lieutenant. It almost felt as if he were with Carl again. A nostalgic feeling welled up inside him before he could stop it.

He shook his head out of his thoughts. This still counted as hanging out, right? He should put in more of an effort to take advantage of this rare moment of peace. “So, Lieutenant Anderson, you like listening to music in your free time?” Markus asked. The old record player and albums in his house hadn’t escaped his notice.

Surprisingly, Hank and Connor both grinned in response as the older man started the car. Heavy metal music immediately blasted through the speakers, making Markus regret his earlier question.

Now, this was definitely something different than Carl.

* * *

 

The sun was setting when Markus finally returned to the office building that the state had given the deviants. They had done their best in making it their new headquarters for android relations as well as a home for a lot of them. For the most part, they were successful too.

As always, there were plenty of androids around, either working on various tasks in running the place or just milling about with nowhere else to go. Everyone greeted Markus when he passed and he made a point to do the same in return, although it felt a bit embarrassing with what he was holding.

He had a hard time explaining it to Hank too when he asked to buy it.

Markus ignored the lingering stares and made his way to the meeting room designated only for himself and his team. Walking in, he was immediately welcomed by Simon.

“Did you have fun?” the blond asked, raising an eyebrow. Yeah, Markus clearly hadn’t fooled him with the “business” excuse. Not that the bouquet of flowers currently in the android leader’s hands helped his case. (He couldn’t exactly cook for a bunch of androids, now could he?)

There was no use denying it at this point though. “You know what, I think I did,” Markus replied with a grin. His gaze shifted to the other two androids in the room who were currently locked in a yelling match. Josh and North were so engrossed in their argument that they hadn’t notice their leader enter the room yet.

“They’ve been like this since this morning,” Simon explained without needing to be prompted. “I tried to step in, but I don’t think they’re looking for a compromise. I think we should just let them get it off their chests for now.”

Markus hummed in agreement. That was nothing new. Taking his eyes off the arguing androids, Markus pulled out a single aster from his bouquet and handed it to Simon. Despite being clearly confused, Simon still accepted the flower without question. He calmly waited for an explanation, but Markus only patted him on the shoulder before approaching the other two.

“Now what seems to be the problem, you guys?” He stepped into the middle of their argument, effectively silencing them for the moment.

Josh looked relieved to see their leader, “Markus! Thank goodness you’re here, can you please tell North that her plan is insane?” He looked just as bewildered as Simon had when Markus handed him a white chrysanthemum from the bouquet.

“It’s not insane, it’s practical. If we want a real independence from the humans, we’re going to need to establish a military or—” She abruptly stopped when it was her turn to receive a flower, a pink carnation.

The other android used the opportunity to jump back into the argument. “A military would just invite the humans to attack us! How can you not see how far peaceful protest brought us?”

“Or it’s just inviting them to bring bigger guns next time!” North shot back. While she slammed a fist onto the table next to her, she made sure the one holding the flower kept it safe.

Likewise, Josh only gestured angrily with his unoccupied hand as he shouted in turn.

Both of them promptly forgot the presence of Markus..

Satisfied with his work though, Markus returned to his spot next to Simon who was idly toying with the aster’s petals.

“You were right, we should just let them go for awhile,” Markus finally said. After that, he fell silent, but the content look remained on his face. He watched Josh and North argue for a few minutes more before turning back to Simon.

He found Simon looking at him with a curious expression, a hint of amusement in his eyes, “What happened with you today?” The android leader didn’t respond to him right away.

While there were times where Markus felt a bit envious of Connor, for walking away, for having found a family, for being confident in his place in the world, Markus realized that he was happy right where he was as well.

Sometimes he needed a breather, but he still wanted to care for this family he found because they meant so much to him. Even if he couldn’t make sunny side up eggs for them.

Markus smiled, “Do you like listening to music, Simon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this short domestic fic of Connor being shit at cooking :'D


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